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Let's put these casualties in perspective:

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0004615.html

United States—Military Affairs—American Wars

America's Wars: U.S. Casualties and Veterans

American Revolution (1775–1783)
Total servicemembers	217,000
Battle deaths	4,435
Nonmortal woundings	6,188
War of 1812 (1812–1815)
Total servicemembers	286,730
Battle deaths	2,260
Nonmortal woundings	4,505
Indian Wars (approx. 1817–1898)
Total servicemembers	106,000¹
Battle deaths	1,000¹
Mexican War (1846–1848)
Total servicemembers	78,718
Battle deaths	1,733
Other deaths in service (nontheater)	11,550
Nonmortal woundings	4,152
Civil War (1861–1865)
Total servicemembers (Union)	2,213,363
Battle deaths (Union)	140,414
Other deaths in service (nontheater) (Union)	224,097
Nonmortal woundings (Union)	281,881
Total servicemembers (Conf.)	1,050,000
Battle deaths (Conf.)	74,524
Other deaths in service (nontheater) (Conf.)	59,297²
Nonmortal woundings (Conf.)	unknown
Spanish-American War (1898–1902)
Total servicemembers	306,760
Battle deaths	385
Other deaths in service (nontheater)	2,061
Nonmortal woundings	1,662
World War I (1917–1918)³
Total servicemembers	4,734,991
Battle deaths	53,402
Other deaths in service (nontheater)	63,114
Nonmortal woundings	204,002
Living veterans	fewer than 500
World War II (1940–1945)³
Total servicemembers	16,112,566
Battle deaths	291,557
Other deaths in service (nontheater)	113,842
Nonmortal woundings	671,846
Living veterans	4,762,000¹
Korean War (1950–1953)
Total servicemembers	5,720,000
Serving in-theater	1,789,000
Battle deaths	33,741
Other deaths in service (theater)	2,827
Other deaths in service (nontheater)	17,730
Nonmortal woundings	103,284
Living veterans	3,734,000¹
Vietnam War (1964–1975)
Total servicemembers	8,744,000
Serving in-theater	3,403,000
Battle deaths	47,410
Other deaths in service (theater)	10,789
Other deaths in service (nontheater)	32,000
Nonmortal woundings	153,303
Living veterans	8,295,000¹
Gulf War (1990–1991)
Total servicemembers	2,225,000
Serving in-theater	665,476
Battle deaths	147
Other deaths in service (theater)	382
Other deaths in service (nontheater)	1,565
Nonmortal woundings	467
Living veterans	1,852,000¹
America's Wars Total
Military service during war	42,348,460
Battle deaths	651,008
Other deaths in service (theater)	13,998
Other deaths in service (nontheater)	525,256
Nonmortal woundings	1,431,290
Living war veterans	17,578,500⁴
Living veterans	25,038,459

1. Veterans Administration estimate as of Sept. 30, 2002.

2. Estimated figure. Does not include 26,000–31,000 who died in Union prisons.

3. Years of U.S. involvement in war.

4. Approximately 1,065,000 veterans had service in multiple conflicts. They are counted under each conflict, but only once in the total.

Source: Department of Defense and Veterans Administration.

ping for later, thanks for the stats!

America's Wars: U.S. Casualties and Veterans

Thanks for posting these numbers. More than stats, these are our brothers, fathers, uncles, great grand fathers... and some sisters, mothers and so forth. Their service in the cause of freedom will never be forgotten. As a veteran, I wish our citizenry had the kind of context these numbers develop when considering the cost of NOT fighting for liberty. The millions upon millions who have died under oppression at the hands of their oppressors are much larger numbers. This thread brings to mind New Hampshire’s motto “Live Free or Die”, but it’s more than that. There is no more honorable quality than a willingness to “risk” ones life so that others may be free. That “risk” however, should be and is calculated very carefully with our men and women in uniform!

2,000 or 20,000 or… is not the point. The point is the cause! The consequences for surrendering to tyranny are too high, and that’s the point! Americans should hope that more tyrants of Saddam's ilk fall like dominoes and be willing to sacrifice to see it come to pass.

640,000+ deaths for the Union side alone, on a population base of less that 50 million. That would be like 3 million dead today.